In number games, such as bingo and keno, the object is to fill in a prearranged pattern as numbers, e.g. one through seventy five for bingo, are called at random. As these numbers are called at random, a secondary game can be played simultaneously. This secondary game allows the players to guess a designated quantity of numbers, i.e. guess three numbers or guess five numbers, and guess the sequence that these numbers will be randomly generated during the initial moments of the primary game, i.e. the players guess five of the first fifteen numbers called and can be rewarded for correctly guessing all correct numbers and can also be rewarded for correctly guessing the sequence in which the numbers were randomly generated.
This secondary game is a game of chance, in which players select or guess a series of numbers in anticipation of the selected numbers matching, in identity and/or sequence, a series of randomly generated numbers or an undisclosed, preselected series of numbers. The players are rewarded based on the accuracy of their guess.
A logistical problem with this secondary game is documenting each player's guess and verifying the accuracy of each player's guess for purposes of rewarding players making accurate guesses. One solution that is common involves each player manually marking multiple game cards with his or her guesses. Then the players cards are manually checked in order to determine a winner.
An additional problem encountered with this secondary game is associated with the player's perception of the odds of guessing correctly. For instance, during a bingo type game, if players are given the opportunity to guess five of the first fifteen numbers called, the player perceives that he or she is choosing five numbers out of a possible seventy-five. This perception can result in low player participation in the secondary game. What is needed is a means of altering the player's perception of the odds of guessing correctly by lowering the apparent range of numbers to choose from or by making each guess equal to a group of numbers. Also needed, to facilitate the process of verification of the accuracy of each player's guesses is a playing card that can be scored by optical or magnetic card readers.
A prior disclosed game card is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,341, which issued to Muller et al. on May 23, 1989. Muller discloses an instant lottery card that utilizes bar codes, such as a UPC code and an associated bar code reader. A list of lottery numbers are generated at random and each lottery number is printed in its bar code format on a lottery card. Muller's game card is designed, for security purposes, to prevent the lottery number on a card from being discerned prematurely. Muller's game card is not designed to solve the problems discussed above.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a game card and an associated playing method that alters a players perception of the odds of correctly guessing the identity and sequence of a series of randomly generated numbers.
Yet another object of the present invention to provide a game card and an associated playing method in which a player can guess on a series of alphanumeric characters and/or icons in which each alphanumeric character and/or icon is equivalent to a limited group of numbers from a range of randomly generated numbers.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a game card and associated playing method in which a player's guesses are recorded so as to allow verification of the accuracy of the player's guesses by an optical or magnetic reader.
Other objects and advantages over the prior art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description together with the drawings as described as follows.